Crying From Caring
by Secret Starr
Summary: Ichigo notices Rukia's changed...but the question is...why? How has her emotions show even when she doesn't express them? Ichiruki one shot!


A little one shot for an Ichiruki moment. Enjoy, or not, 'pending on who you are and your view on the fic.

Disclaimer: I own Bleach just like I own post-it notes and Lucky Charms. (Which I don't, may I add)

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CRYING FOR CARING

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"Dammit, Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed. "Why'd ya have to get in the way!?" 

"Well I'm sorry that you let your guard down when that hallow was attacking!" Rukia fought back, now giving Ichigo a light punch on his face that satisfactory made him grimace.

"Now hold still!" The ebony haired girl said, healing an incredibly painful and deep wound.

Ichigo stopped squirming and started cursing as he winced at the healing process.

"There. Now get back in your body, idiot!" She snapped at him, making him grumble over how she was so bossy about everything.

Slipping inside his body, he began to change for bed, first carefully inspecting that the closet Rukia was in was _completely_ shut.

"Are you done yet, or are you going to take forever like how long it took you to fight that hallow?" Rukia's muffled voice came through the closet in frustrated cramped-ness from the small space she was currently trapped in.

"Give me a minute, midget!" Ichigo yelled through the top he was slipping over her head, having difficulties putting his arms in the long sleeves.

"Done." He called over to the closet, door, seeing Rukia climb out of the sliding door.

He looked over at her.

"Why do you even have to come out anyway?"

She glared icily at him.

"If you wanted me to stay in the closet you could have just said so."

Ichigo winced at her words, re-thinking how rude his own had been, now scratching the back of his spiked hair in embarrassment.

"Look, I didn't mean it like...that..."

His voice trailed off as he looked Rukia over.

When did her face become so pale? She had always had fair skin, but this was just too much. Her ghostly appearance was shocking him.

Her eyes...

They were still that stunning shade of blue and violet, but since when did they have dark brown and black bags underneath? By the look of it, she hadn't been getting the sleep she needed and deserved to be getting.

Her pajama shirt allowed Ichigo to see some of her collar bones, which were sticking out of her as well as her shoulder blades when she turned that he could see then jutting out of her right through her pajama shirt.

When had all these changes happened?! He realized at times she had been shaking even though it was summer. Since when had her condition of well being been so...bad?

"What?" Rukia asked him in confusion, having felt his stare upon her. The very girl who had been looking over looked at him in worry, a bit self conscious under his gaze.

Worry.

Had he been the reason of her current condition? Worrying about him? Guilty feelings of changing his life from her very first encounter with him? Of having to fight hallows every day and being healed, which probably took it's toll on her on it's own.

Ichigo beat himself up in his mind.

'_Have I been so caught up in myself that I haven't even noticed her worry in me?'_

"Rukia, are...are you okay?"

She put a small smirk on her face.

"Of corse I am, idiot."

Walking over to her, Ichigo ignored and pushed aside any thoughts and instinct that told him that hugging her would be a bad thing. He put his arms around her and felt as if he could count every vertebrae in her back...feeling like if he hugged her too hard he would break her.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry, sorry for what?" Rukia questioned in a joking voice, returning the embrace hesitantly.

"I'm sorry that you worry about me. You really shouldn't, I'm not worth it, you know..." He paused. "...I should be worrying about you."

He suddenly felt Rukia shaking, feeling her wet and warm tears fall onto his shoulders, hugging him all the more tighter.

"I c-care for you s-so much, Ichigo. I'm sorry, I'm s-so sorry!"

He kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger there before he took them off.

"Don't be sorry, I'm not." Ichigo said, tilting his head closer to her, whispering words of comfort to her.

And for the first time in decades, Rukia put her trust and love in someone and...

Cried.

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Yep, that's it. Hope you enjoyed or not. Tell me all about it in a review...takes what? Ten seconds to write and ten days of happiness for me. Flame or complement, either one works for me. 


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